Sealing and transport means for corrugated paperboard impregnating apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for impregnating horizontally transported corrugated paperboard having transverse flutes including sealing and transport means designed to minimize the amount of air drawn into the flutes during the impregnation process. The sealing and transport means is mounted for transverse displacement between an impregnate supplying unit and a suction unit disposed on opposite longitudinal edges of an advancing paperboard web, wherein the impregnate supplying unit and suction unit are transversely displaceable to accommodate paperboard of varying widths. The sealing and transport means includes upper and lower airtight belts for contacting and sealing the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, of the advancing paperboard to prevent air from being drawn into the flutes evacuated by the suction unit. By maintaining the spacing between the suction unit and the sealing and transporting means below a predetermined distance, the amount of air drawn into the flutes adjacent the edge sealing means is maintained below a predetermined amount regardless of the width of the paperboard being impregnated. In accordance with an additional feature of the subject invention, the sealing and transporting means may be rotated about a vertical axis, whereby the deflection force caused by the suction means may be counteracted by introduction of a transverse component in the force applied to the paperboard by the sealing and transport means.

States Patent 1191 Lau et a1. 1 1 Oct. 22, 1974 SEALING AND TRANSPORT MEANS FOR Primary ExaminerMorris Kaplan CORRUGATED PAPERBOARD Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Silverman & Cass IMPREGNATING APPARATUS [76] Inventors: Gunther Lau, Glogauer Str. 22, [57] ABSTRACT 8541 Katzwang; Edmund Bradatsch, Apparatus for impregnating horizontally transported Huttenwerkstr. 5, 8481 corrugated paperboard having transverse flutes includ- Weiherhammer; Hermann J. ing sealing and transport means designed to minimize Brandl, Virchowstrasse 33, 85 the amount of air drawn into the flutes during the im- Nurnberg, all of Germany pregnation process. The sealing and transport means is [22] Filed: Jam 8 1973 mounted for transverse displacement between an impregnate supplying unit and a suction un1t disposed on [21] Appl. No.: 321,839 opposite longitudinal edges of an advancing paperboard web, wherein the impregnate supplying unit and suction unit are transversely displaceable to accom- [30] Foreign Apphcatlon Pnomy Data modate paperboard of varying widths. The sealing and Jan. 14, 1972 Germany 2201741 transport means includes upper and lower airtight belts for contacting and sealin the upper and lower [52] US. Cl 118/50, 118/317, 118/324, Surfaces respectively of the adgvancing paperboard to l 18/ 3 prevent air from being drawn into the flutes evacuated [51] llil. Cl B05) 13/06 y the Suction unit. y maintaining the Spacing [58] held of Search 1 18/50 tween the suction unit and the sealing and transport- 118/503 3; 119 ing means below a predetermined distance,. the amount of air drawn into the flutes adjacent the edge [56] References C'ted sealing means is maintained below a predetermined UNITED STATES PATENTS amount regardless of the width of the paperboard 1,199,314 9/1916 Subers 118/317 X being impregnated. In accordance with an additional 1,592,824 7/1926 Fairchild 118/317 UX feature of the subject invention, the sealing and trans- 2,826.236 3/ 5 eauze et a1 1l7/l02 L porting means 'maybe rotated about a vertical axis, whereby deflection force caused the uction ggg gg g i- 118/50 X means may be counteracted by introduction of a 3:695:2l9 10/1972 Arian et al 118/50 transverse m the force appled to the perboard by the sealing and transport means.

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Fig.4

SEALING AND TRANSPORT MEANS FOR CORRUGATED PAPERBOARD IMPREGNATING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION relative to the longitudinal edges of the paperboard,

while the sealing and transporting means is held stationary. For Example, see US. Pat. No. 3,669,064, issued June 13, 1972, to Hoelzinger et al and US. Pat.

. No. 3,669,067, issued June I3, 1972, to Ackermann et al, both assigned to the assignee of the subject invention. The sealing and transporting means includes upper and lower, endless, band-shaped belts which pass along flutes, ridges or the like in the direction of travel of the belts on the inside of the sealing and transporting means between guide and drive rollers to prevent lateral travel of the upper and lower belts.

When the impregnating apparatus is not in use, the sealing and transporting means can be moved to an inoperative position by swinging the belts to a vertical position. The disadvantage of this known apparatus'is that only the impregnate supplying unit and the suction unit are adjustable to accommodate corrugated paperboard having varying widths when the corrugated paperboard is guided in a stationary relationship with regard to the central axis of the paperboard. The sealing function of the sealing and transporting means cannot be adapted to various paperboard widths in a way that would ensure the smallest possible impairment to the performance of the suction unit. Thus, when working with certain widths of the corrugated paperboard, an unsealed portion exists near the edge sealing means of the suction unit, resulting in a very substantial pressure decline and an infiltration of large quantities of deleterious air into the paperboard flutes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the objective of this invention to provide an impregnating apparatus which, regardless of the paperboard width, always ensures the highest possible suction performance and infiltration of the smallest possible amount of deleterious air.

The subject invention solves this problem by providing a sealing and transporting means for corrugated paperboard which is adjustable transversely to the direction of travel of the corrugated paperboard and by dis posing the sealing and transporting means independently of the width of the corrugated paperboard a minimum distance from the suction unit.

The fact that the sealing and transporting means is adjustable transversely to the running direction of the paperboard permits one of the longitudinal edges of the sealing and transporting means to be disposed within a minimum distance to the suction unit. Consequently, the paperboard is sealed immediately adjacent the suction unit. Even though the highest suction pressure is maintained in this region no outside air can infiltrate. That part of the corrugated paperboard which exceeds the width of the sealing and transporting means, adjacent the impregnate supplying unit, will remain unsealed in a more or less small area. However, an essentially lower vacuum pressure is prevalent in this area, and therefore an essentially smaller quantity of outside air is drawn in.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the sealing and transporting means includes upper and lower endless bandshaped belts which are jointly adjustable by a lateral displacing means. This results in a simplification of the adjustment for the sealing and transporting means.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the sealing and transporting means is rotatable about a vertical, laterally displaceable axis in order to be able 3 to more efficiently horizontally advance the corrugated paperboard which is to be impregnated and to minimize the effect of the deflection forces, as for instance, deflection force resulting from the suction unit. I

With regard to yet another feature of this invention, one of the belts, preferably, the upper belt, can be adjusted according to height in a parallel or oblique direction to the lower belt in order to permit adjustment of the upper and lower belts to accommodate varying paperboard thicknesses. I

In order to bring the sealing and transporting means, when not using the impregnating apparatus, out of the operating position, and in order to'exactly adapt the sealing and transporting means in the plant directly to the position of the corrugated paperboard, the sealing and transporting means is adjustable in height as a unit. For this purpose the sealing and transporting means is preferably mounted on an adjustable lazy tong" type mechanism.

According to a further feature of the invention, the impregnate supplying unit includes a first stationary base and first edge sealing means and the suction unit includes a second stationary base and second edge sealing means, wherein only the edge sealing means are adjustable relative to the respective longitudinal edges of the advancing paperboard.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the sealing and transporting means taken transversely to the direction of travel of the paperboard being impregnated; and

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the suction unit also taken transversely to the direction of travel of the paperboard being impregnated.

As can be seen from FIG. 1 schematically, apparatus 1 for impregnating a horizontally transported corrugated paperboard 2 includes an impregnate supplying unit 3 to the left and a suction unit 4 to the right. Between impregnate supplying unit 3 and suction unit 4 there is a sealing and transporting means 5 for the corrugated paperboard 2.

impregnate supplying unit 3 includes a stationary frame or base 6 which on the upper side includes an impregnate supplying box 7. The impregnate supplying box 7 is adjustable and lockable in a transverse relationship to the direction of travel of the paperboard as designated by directional arrow I. The impregnate supplying unit further includes a casing 8 which houses a ventilator 9 and a continuous flow heater 10. Air may be drawn in through the continuous flow heater and directed to longitudinal edge 11 by the suction unit 4 in a heated and sealed state. Alternatively, an air current may be produced by ventilator 9, which after being heated by the continuous flow heater, warms the components of the impregnate supplying unit. In impregnate supplying box 7, facing longitudinal edge 11 of paperboard 2, there are housed nozzles, not depicted, by which an impregnating agent, for instance, wax, is injected into the hollow channels of the paperboard 2 from longitudinal edge 11 in the form of a solid stream. The cross sectional area of each nozzle is smaller than the cross sectional area of each paperboard flute so that the supplied warm air can pass simultaneously into each paperboard flute.

Suction unit 4 faces the other longitudinal edge 12 of the paperboard. This suction unit 4 includes a suction box 13, which is also adjustable and lockable in a transverse relationship to paperboard 2, as indicated by arrow II. Connected with suction box 13 are separate suction chambers (not depicted) facing longitudinal edge 12 in a sealing manner, which chambers are connected by separators to each one of the vacuum pumps. Suction box 13 is supported by a casing 14 which is stationary.

The sealing and transporting means includes a lower airtight belt 15 which is endless and band-shaped and which seals and imparts a forward motion to the lower surface of the paperboard and an upper belt 16 which likewise is band-shaped, endless and airtight, and which seals and imparts a forward motion to the upper surface of the paperboard 2. As indicated in FIG. 1 by arrows III and IV, belts 15, 16 are jointly adjustable in height and are also adjustable tranversely to the direction of travel of the paperboard 2. Moreover, as can be seen in FIG. 2, belts 15, 16 jointly are pivotable around a vertical axis XX in the direction of arrow V. Vertical axis X-X is located in the corner area of the sealing and transporting means which faces suction unit 4. When paperboard 2 travels in the direction of arrow IV, the axis is located at the exit end of the paperboard from the sealing and transporting unit.

The impregnate supplying unit is illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 3. Frame or base 6 of the impregnate supplying unit is anchored to the floor by way of set screws 17. On the top of frame 6 guide rails 18 are located for supporting an impregnate supplying box 7 adapted for displacement relative to frame 6, wherein the impregnate supplying box is connected with casing 8 which extends into frame 6. At the bottom of casing 8, a ventilator 9 is located for drawing in air which is then forced into the impregnate supplying box by a continuous flow heater(not depicted). In impregnate supplying box 7 there are arranged in series a variety of nozzles 19 with switch control elements 20 to which impregnating agents, e.g. wax, distributed over lines 22, are fed from a storage container (not depicted) by a collecting pipe 21. In front of nozzles 19, a pair of L-shaped sealing members 23 are located between which one of the longitudinal edges of paperboard 2 travels in a sealed manner.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the sealing and transporting means 5 in greater detail. The sealing and transporting means 5 rests on stationary rails 24 over which rollers 25 connected with supporting frame 26 are adapted to travel.- Connected with supporting frame 26 is a lazy tong type of mechanism 27 whose upper frame 28 carries frame 29 of the sealing and transporting means. The sealing and transporting means includes endless belts 15, 16 which are band-shaped and airtight and which travel over drive and guide rollers 32.

The portions of belts 15, 16 which face each other and transport the corrugated paperboard therebetween run over bearing and guiding pulleys 33. The drive rollers of belts l5, 16 by necessity, are driving each other.

Frame 29 for belts 15, 16 is connected with the upper frame 28 of lazy tong mechanism by vertical axis X-X (FIG. 4). At the same time, there is connected with frame 29 a regulating and locking means 34, which, for example, may be mechanically actuated, and which on the other side is associated with upper frame 28 of lazy tong mechanism 27. This facilitates pivoting and locking of the entire frame 29 of the sealing and transporting means including belts 15, 16 around vertical axis X-X.

As can be seen from FIGS. 4 and 5, frame 29 is divided into separate sections for belts 15 and 16. The upper frame section is connected with the lower frame section by set screws 34' and thus can be disposed in a parallel position relative to the lower frame section or in an oblique position relative thereto within limiting heights. The lower and upper frame sections for belts 15, 16 viewed transversely to the running direction of the cardboard web, are extended on the impregnate supplying side to ensure that the width of the paperboard exceeds the width of the belts.

Suction unit 4 is depicted in greater detail in FIG. 6. Suction unit includes a frame or base 14 which by way of screws 35 is anchored to the floor. At the top of the frame, suction box 13 (by means of guide rails not depicted) is adjustable transversely to the direction of travel of the paperboard. At the front side of suction box 13 adjacent the paperboard elements a pair of sealing members 36 are disposed between which one longitudinal edge of the corrugated paperboard is advanced in a sealed manner. Along this longitudinal edge of the paperboard 2 at least two adjacent separate suction chambers 37 are arranged wherein each chamber includes a filter 38 in suction box 13. Each suction chamber 37 is followed by a separator 39 which is connected with suction box 13 and is movable in tandem therewith. A vacuum pump, being offset and not depicted, is attached by way of connection 40. From separator 39 the separated impregnation agent, e.g. wax, returns via a by-pass channel pump 41 back into the preparatory cycle for the impregnating agent.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for impregnating horizontally transported corrugated paperboard containing a succession of transversely extending flutes, comprising a. impregnate supplying means (3) for supplying impregnate to the ends of the paperboard flutes along a first longitudinal edge of the advancing paperboard, said impregnate supplying means including first edge sealing means (23) for sealingly engaging the upper and lower surfaces of the paperboard immediately adjacent said impregnate supplying means, said first edge sealing means being transversely displaceable to the direction of advance of the paperboard to accommodate paperboard of varying widths:

b. suction means (4) for creating a vacuum in the paperboard flutes by sealingly connecting the ends of the paperboard along a second longitudinal edge of the paperboardwith a source of vacuum, said suction means including edge sealing means (36) for sealingly engaging the upper and lower surfaces of the paperboardimmediately adjacent the second longitudinal edge of the paperboard, said second edge sealing means being displaceable transversely to the direction of advance of the paperboard to accommodate paperboard of varying widths;

c. sealing and transport means (5) for sealing predetermined portions of the upper and lower surfaces of the paperboard to inhibit air from being drawn into the paperboard flutes and for advancing the paperboard relative to and in sealing engagement with said impregnate supplying and suction means; and

d. displacement means for displacing said sealing and transport means transversely to the direction of advance of the paperboard to maintain the spacing between said sealing and transport means and said second edge sealing means below a predetermined maximum, whereby the amount of air drawn into the flutes adjacent the edge sealing means is maintained below a predetermined amount regardless of the width of the paperboard being impregnated.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said sealing and transport means includes a. a frame (29);

b. an upper airtight endless belt (16) rotatably mounted on said frame to engage the upper surface of the paperboard, and c. a lower airtight endless belt (15) rotatably mounted on said frame to engage the lower surface of the paperboard.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said displacement means includes a supporting frame (26) and further including means (34) for rotating said sealing and transport frame on said supporting frame for rotation about a vertical pivot axis (X-X) whereby deflection forces caused by said suction means may be counteracted by rotating said sealing and transport means to introduce a transverse component to the force applied to the paperboard by said sealing and transport means.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said vertical pivot axis is positioned adjacent the exit end of said second edge sealing means.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said frame of said sealing and transport means includes means (34') for adjusting the position of one said belt with respect to the other said belt to vary the spacing between said belts, whereby said belts may be arranged in parallel or oblique relation to each other.

6. Apparatus asdefined in claim 1, wherein said displacement, means includes i a. a pair of parallel, stationary rails (24) mounted benea th and transverse to the path of travel of the paperboard between said impregnate supplying and said suction means, j

b. a lower supporting frame (26) mounted for movement along said rails, and

c. height adjusting means (27) connected with said lower supporting frame and with said sealing and transport means frame for simultaneously adjusting the height of said upper and lower belts.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said height adjusting means includes a lazy-tong mechamsm.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said impregnate supplying means includes a stationary first base and said first edge sealing means is mounted for movement relative to said first base and wherein said suction means includes a stationary second base and said second edge sealing means is mounted for move- 

1. Apparatus for impregnating horizontally transported corrugated paperboard containing a succession of transversely extending flutes, comprising a. impregnate supplying means (3) for supplying impregnate to the ends of the paperboard flutes along a first longitudinal edge of the advancing Paperboard, said impregnate supplying means including first edge sealing means (23) for sealingly engaging the upper and lower surfaces of the paperboard immediately adjacent said impregnate supplying means, said first edge sealing means being transversely displaceable to the direction of advance of the paperboard to accommodate paperboard of varying widths: b. suction means (4) for creating a vacuum in the paperboard flutes by sealingly connecting the ends of the paperboard along a second longitudinal edge of the paperboard with a source of vacuum, said suction means including edge sealing means (36) for sealingly engaging the upper and lower surfaces of the paperboard immediately adjacent the second longitudinal edge of the paperboard, said second edge sealing means being displaceable transversely to the direction of advance of the paperboard to accommodate paperboard of varying widths; c. sealing and transport means (5) for sealing predetermined portions of the upper and lower surfaces of the paperboard to inhibit air from being drawn into the paperboard flutes and for advancing the paperboard relative to and in sealing engagement with said impregnate supplying and suction means; and d. displacement means for displacing said sealing and transport means transversely to the direction of advance of the paperboard to maintain the spacing between said sealing and transport means and said second edge sealing means below a predetermined maximum, whereby the amount of air drawn into the flutes adjacent the edge sealing means is maintained below a predetermined amount regardless of the width of the paperboard being impregnated.
 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said sealing and transport means includes a. a frame (29); b. an upper airtight endless belt (16) rotatably mounted on said frame to engage the upper surface of the paperboard, and c. a lower airtight endless belt (15) rotatably mounted on said frame to engage the lower surface of the paperboard.
 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said displacement means includes a supporting frame (26) and further including means (34) for rotating said sealing and transport frame on said supporting frame for rotation about a vertical pivot axis (X-X) whereby deflection forces caused by said suction means may be counteracted by rotating said sealing and transport means to introduce a transverse component to the force applied to the paperboard by said sealing and transport means.
 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said vertical pivot axis is positioned adjacent the exit end of said second edge sealing means.
 5. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said frame of said sealing and transport means includes means (34'') for adjusting the position of one said belt with respect to the other said belt to vary the spacing between said belts, whereby said belts may be arranged in parallel or oblique relation to each other.
 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said displacement means includes a. a pair of parallel, stationary rails (24) mounted beneath and transverse to the path of travel of the paperboard between said impregnate supplying and said suction means, b. a lower supporting frame (26) mounted for movement along said rails, and c. height adjusting means (27) connected with said lower supporting frame and with said sealing and transport means frame for simultaneously adjusting the height of said upper and lower belts.
 7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said height adjusting means includes a lazy-tong mechanism.
 8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said impregnate supplying means includes a stationary first base and said first edge sealing means is mounted for movement relative to said first base and wherein said suction means includes a stationary second base and said second edge sealing means is mounted for movement relative to said second base. 